hours of usuing the uv light?

[sara]

I have been told that R.F. dont need The U.V. lite like some of the other breeds. I have been leaving Mine on for bert for about 6-8 hours a day. He likes to sleep there durring the day for awhile, then later he moves away from it and finishes takeing his naps over on the other side. I turn on his night warming lamp around 7pm and he will sleep under that forawhile, then sometime durring the night once agian move to the other end.
My question is, how long should i use the u.v. lamp? It helps keep the temps up so thats why i leave it on. or, should i just use his warming lamp and can that stay on 24hrs a day? or use the u.v like i have been for about 6 hrs of the day? . The books really dont help.

 

[terryo]

I keep a heat emitter on 24/7, so the temp. is always at 85 or 87 in the whole enclosure. I have a long tube 5.0 UVB (fixture for a 10 gal tank) that I keep on as many hours as there is day light.

 

[Tracy Gould]

I have my mercury bulb on from 7am till 9 pm but i know Redfoots have different needs

 

[sara]

I keep a heat emitter on 24/7, so the temp. is always at 85 or 87 in the whole enclosure. I have a long tube 5.0 UVB (fixture for a 10 gal tank) that I keep on as many hours as there is day light.

Hmmm. I like that idea. that way he can go warm up as needed and i wouldnt have to worry about too much u.v. I think the husband may have a new project. He just doent know it yet.
Bert will need a larger tort table soon enough anyway, but it may have to wait till we get situated after we move to ...ug...Alaska.
I saw the beautiful set up you have for outdoors, what do you have for indoors? how big is it and how big are your babies?
I think i need to really start looking into a new design for Bert. Specially since he wont be able to go outside as much.

 

[terryo]

Inside....my little CH, RF is 3 months old....he's in a 40 gal. breeder tank that has lots of plants and a natural wood hide filled with long fiber moss for digging into. Heat emitter on one side, and the 5.0 on the other side. A piece of slate to eat on, and some creeping jenny on the substrate. My older one...3 years old...is in a 75 gal. planted (not too many plants any more) vivarium. I am in the process of making him a bigger enclosure now, but need help, and my son is a little busy now, so Pio has to wait. This little guy is all over the place, and takes a nibble from all the plants. Very active, curious, and outgoing.
the picture's not too good...but you can get an idea

 

[Tracy Gould]

I have only had Shelby for 6 months and have started thinking about her 3rd table the one she is in at the moment is big anoth but its 2 boxes and is not stuck together it keeps geting knocked and the sub falls out onto the carpet so i am looking for a large tub tomorrow lol

 

[Madkins007]

I also use ceramic heat emitters all day (mine are on a thermostat so I can keep the temp controlled), and use UVB.

In an ideal set-up, which would be too costly and awkward for most of us, there would be something like a soft incandescent light to get the day started and finished, say 8am to 8pm. Then run some low-heat UVB from about 10 to 6pm, and finally a little boost of heat and light from about noon to 3.

This sort of set-up would neatly simulate the changes during the day, stimulate natural behaviors, and more.

Just for the record, I am a BIG fan of UVB for all tortoises- although it is important to not overdo it- tune it for the age, species, and size of habitat. The vitamin D3 issue is only a part of the whole picture.

 

[sara]

Inside....my little CH, RF is 3 months old....he's in a 40 gal. breeder tank that has lots of plants and a natural wood hide filled with long fiber moss for digging into. Heat emitter on one side, and the 5.0 on the other side. A piece of slate to eat on, and some creeping jenny on the substrate. My older one...3 years old...is in a 75 gal. planted (not too many plants any more) vivarium. I am in the process of making him a bigger enclosure now, but need help, and my son is a little busy now, so Pio has to wait. This little guy is all over the place, and takes a nibble from all the plants. Very active, curious, and outgoing.
the picture's not too good...but you can get an idea

he's adoreable! talk about a lucky guy! I see you have what looks like "babys tears" and a scheffelara, and even a croton in there for plants. Obviously not toxic.
I am going to put some plexi over my table once we get moved and settles in alaska, but really want some plants in there as well for the humidity factor. But I have a feeling they wont last very long! Does your older onse munch on them?

---

I also use ceramic heat emitters all day (mine are on a thermostat so I can keep the temp controlled), and use UVB.

In an ideal set-up, which would be too costly and awkward for most of us, there would be something like a soft incandescent light to get the day started and finished, say 8am to 8pm. Then run some low-heat UVB from about 10 to 6pm, and finally a little boost of heat and light from about noon to 3.

This sort of set-up would neatly simulate the changes during the day, stimulate natural behaviors, and more.

Just for the record, I am a BIG fan of UVB for all tortoises- although it is important to not overdo it- tune it for the age, species, and size of habitat. The vitamin D3 issue is only a part of the whole picture.

I like the idea of a thermostat. However i wouldnt even know where to start. I would like to get one of those temp. readers i have herd about but wouldnt know what kind to get or where to get it.

 

[Madkins007]

Thermostats: http://www.bigappleherp.com/REPTILE-SUPPLIES/Thermostats

Thermometers: http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?category=&q=thermometers

Of course, there are a lot of other sources for this sort of thing!